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Dr. Jackson Kung’u (PhD)- Mold Specialist.
Phone: 905-290-9101
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Mold Spores: what are mold spores?

Several molds that grow both indoors and outdoors, produce spores. Mold spores have been likened to the seeds of a dandelion, but they are microscopic in size. Because of their size, mold spores cannot be seen with the human eye save with the aid of a microscope. Mold spores occur in various colors and shapes, such as round, spheroid, banana-shaped or tadpole-shaped. They can occur in enormous quantities depending on the type of mold producing them, and at all times of the year where the environmental conditions allow.

Mold spores are well known for their ability to cause sensitization and allergic responses.  Exposure to airborne mold remains the biggest concern when looking at molds and their affects on human health.  Mold spores and other fungal structures (e.g. hyphae) contain allergens. These allergens cause mold allergy to sensitive individuals and may also exacerbate asthma. Whether or not the spores are alive, the allergens in and on them may remain allergenic for years.

There is no definite seasonal pattern to mold spores in indoor indoor environments. Growth of mold indoors is determined by the presence/absence of moisture. However outdoor molds are seasonal, first appearing in early spring and thriving throughout summer until fall. Outdoor spore concentration also influences indoor spore concentration as outdoor spores generally infiltrates indoors.

Mold spores are much smaller than pollen grains and easily bypass the normal filtering function of the nose. Inhalation of mold spores into the lung is a common cause of asthma attacks in people who are allergic to molds.

 

Sources of mold spores

Mold spores come from soil and decaying vegetation, and are everywhere in nature. In houses with evaporative cooling and old carpets, mold can be a problem.  Growth of mold in houses increases after a plumbing, roof leak or chronic condensation. Many types of molds are found in soil and house dust.

Molds In Basement

Both finished and unfinished basements tend to be damp and hence prone to mold growth. Molds in basement are predominantly influenced by chronic moisture problems, such as window well leakage. Whether a basement is occupied or not, growth of molds in basement is a health hazard since the spores tend to move upwards to the living spaces. It has been established that basements could be the predominant sources for mold spores in both summer and winter. When people who are susceptible to mold inhale the airborne spores they react to the proteins in the wall of the spores.

How do you know you have molds in basement?

You know you have molds in basement when you smell the “musty” odor or see small black, bluish or white spots along the basement walls. The mold spots may be fuzzy or look raised. Mold growth will occur on any organic or porous materials including paint, cardboard, newspapers, wood, textiles, and carpet that are exposed to moisture. You may also find molds in basement growing on dirt or dust trapped on fiberglass insulation. Mold growth may also be visible on wooden studs and rafters.

How to control molds in basement

Elimination of moisture is the most effective method of mold growth control. To eliminate moisture problems in the basement may involve foundation damp-proofing, fixing grading problems, providing adequate on-lot drainage systems, and sealing areas of moisture ingress. Also remove excessive internal moisture sources in the basement (humidifiers, cooking) and ventilate other sources (clothes dryer, bathroom). If condensation in the summer is the problem, it’s recommended that you do not ventilate the basement directly with warm, humid air. Ventilation through an air conditioning system or with a desiccant-type heat exchanger is recommended.

If you have molds in basement call 905-290-9101. We may be able to help you or direct you to people who could help you.

How To Get Rid Of Mold Growth

Many people and even institutions would be happy if they could find a way of getting rid of mold. Unfortunately it’s almost impossible to get rid of mold completely. However, if we understand the conditions that support mold growth, we could then try to manipulate those conditions so as to control mold growth. Mold growth has the following requirements:

1. Presence of spores or mold fragments that are capable germinating (viable) and developing into new mold growth.

2. Moisture. Like any other living organism mold requires water for growth.

3. Nutrients. Nutrients are readily available as some components of building materials are made of easily degradable organic materials. Nutrient are also available in dust.

4. Suitable temperature. For most indoor molds the optimal temperature for growth is between 20 and 25 oC.

The last two mold growth requirements would be difficult to manipulate. As mentioned above some materials in buildings are readily degradable by microorganisms. As for the temperature, mold can grow at a wide range of temperature and it’s optimal temperature is similar to that required in buildings for human comfort.

To control mold growth, therefore, we need to try and reduce or eliminate spores/mold fragments and water in our buildings. We could reduce the amount of spores and/or mold fragments settled on interior surfaces in buildings by HEPA vaccum cleaning all surfaces that are prone to dust on a regular basis.

To be able to control moisture, we need to understand the sources and also the mechanisms by which moisture moves through the building. The primary sources of moisture in buildings include:

1 . Liquid water, from precipitation (rain and melting snow) or plumbing leaks;

2. Water vapor (condensation), from the exterior and from activities and processes within the building;

3. Liquid and vapor from the soil adjoining the building;

4. Moisture built-in with materials of construction or brought in with goods and people

 Controlling moisture in the building may require the help of a professional who understands the processes by which moisture moves in and through the building. To completely get rid of mold growth in a building is difficult.

 

Air Quality Mold Testing Kits

Air quality testing should be conducted by a qualified professional. However, there are basic tests that a homeowner or a property manager can perform by themselves and save money. Air quality testing for mold does not require any special training. Mold & Bacteria Consulting Laboratories has been renting air quality testing equipment to homeowners, property managers or professionals who are just starting their businesses.

To perform your own air quality testing for mold it’s important to plan ahead. For example you need to decide how many rooms you want to test as this will determine the number of air samples you will collect. ideally, one should test all the rooms but if the budget cannot allow you can test areas of concern. In addition to the samples you collect from indoors, an outdoor sample is also required. The outdoor air sample helps to determine which of the mold spores detected indoors had likely originated from outdoors.

Interpreting air sample results can be difficult. However, after comparing indoor samples with outdoor sample, if the types of spores detected from the indoor sample are the same as those detected from outdoors and the indoor counts are significantly lower than those of the outdoors, then we can conclude that the tested areas had no mold problem at the time of testing. This conclusion is only valid if we cannot visually see mold growth and the building is not damp. It’s important to note that while the spore counts could be low, presence of certain types of molds could be an indication of major moisture damage and possibly hidden mold growth.

 How to perform air quality testing

As indicated previously you’ll require to rent an air sampling pump. You’ll also need to purchase air sampling cassettes. Mold & Bacteria Consulting Laboratories provides instructions on how to operate the pump. After sampling the samples are sent to the laboratory for identification and counting of spores. The results are reported as the number of spores per cubic meter of air. Click air sampling instructions to watch a video on how to perform air quality test for mold.

Mold Spores Contribute To Respiratory Disease And Allergic Reactions

It’s well established that airborne mold spores contribute to respiratory disease and allergic reactions in humans. Mold spores are everywhere and we inhale them every minute both when we’re indoors and outdoors. In cold countries airborne mold spores is highest during summer. During winter, the spore concentration outdoors is very low or absent altogether. In warm countries concentration of airborne spores may vary with the season (rainy or dry season) but there are spores present outdoors throughout the year. Usually the spore concentration indoors is lower than outdoors. However, in buildings with mold problem, the spore concentration could be very high.

Allergic reactions caused by mold spores

Inhaled mold spores can cause a number of health problems. Susceptible individuals react to proteins in the spore wall resulting in development of runny nose and eyes (allergic rhinitis) and asthma-like symptoms. Prolonged exposure to unusually high levels of spores can result in the development of allergic alveolitis.

Allergenic mold Spores

Spores commonly associated with allergy outdoors include spores of Cladosporium, Sporobolomyces, Didymella, and Alternaria. In buildings without mold problems, the same spores found outdoors would be present indoors but in lower levels than in outdoors. In buildings with mold problems a mix of species commonly found indoors and outdoors would be found. The indoor species would be in higher concentrations indoors than in outdoors.

In an indoor occupational environment the types of molds present would be determined by the indoor conditions and the work being carried out. For example in a compost facility thermotolerant fungi such as Aspergillus fumigatus would be present. Mold spores of some species such as Cladosporium and Penicillium may be detected in high numbers in air samples while others such as Eurotium, Wallemia, and Penicillium may be abundant in dust.